The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly: Beneficial Insects in the Garden

Our gardens are full of insects! What are they and what are they all doing there? Some are welcome pollinators such as honey and native bees. Other garden allies are predators, eating the insects, mites, and other small critters that plague our plants. Meet some of the garden allies and their favorite plants, and learn how you can put these good guys to work in your garden to manage pests without pesticides. Like pollinators, many predators eat pollen and nectar, but unlike pollinators, for only part of their life cycle. There is more to it than simply growing the flowers that attract pollinating insects. Get the tips you need to plan and plant a great habitat that invites all the garden allies that can help keep your garden beautiful!

Frederique Lavoipierre is the Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, where the focus is on California native plants, and the emphasis is on two of her passions – science and horticulture. She is the author of Garden Allies, a series for Pacific Horticulture magazine, on how to create habitat that welcomes insects and other wildlife. She holds a Master’s degree in Biology from Sonoma State University, where her focus was on sustainable landscape practices and designing habitat for beneficial insects. Her research emphasis was conservation biological control. At SSU, Frederique was the founding director of the Sustainable Landscape Program, where she also developed and managed the Entomology Outreach and Garden Classroom programs. She loves giving presentations on plant/insect interactions and is not sure which she loves best: plants or insects.

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